tags

Movies 101: Opening Shots Project – scanners

Opening title card from Barry Lyndon

Movies 101: Opening Shots Project – scanners. Jim Emerson discussing the importance of the opening scene in a movie through a description of some of his favorites. As he puts it, his “two cardinal rules for movie-watching are:”

1) The movie is about what happens to you while you watch it. So, pay attention — to both the movie and your response. If you have reactions to, or questions about, what you’re seeing, chances are they’ll tell you something about what the movie is doing. Be aware of your questions, emotions, apprehensions, expectations.

2) The opening shot (or opening sequence) is the most important part of the movie… at least until you get to the final shot. (And in good movies, the two are often related.)